1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for controlling the shift of a virtual space and a method and a program for controlling the same. More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus for generating virtual space shift information required for virtual space shift image processing and controlling the shift of a computer graphics (CG) model when the user shifts the virtual space image displayed on a computer terminal and a method and a program for controlling the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Virtual spaces sometimes called cyberspaces used in virtual reality and expressed with CG are conventionally known. The user can sense information while moving in a virtual space displayed on a computer terminal. Common man-machine interfaces for moving in the virtual space on the computer terminal include mice, joysticks and so on.
The mice are used to convert a shift operation over a virtual space display area with a cursor into shift information in the space in accordance with the operation. The joysticks are used to convert the direction and the angle of the inclination of the stick into shift information in the space. However, the mice and the joysticks which are conventional interfaces are difficult for users who have not used computers to get a sense of performing shift operation in a virtual space.
Man-machine interfaces for performing similar operations as the mice and the joysticks also include touch panels, which allow the change of a display by directly pointing a shifted position in the virtual space with a finger or the like. However, with general touch panels, a shift operation in a virtual space similar to that with the mice or the joysticks cannot be performed with only a finger, which requires another operation, thus leading to troublesome operation and avoiding an intuitive operation.